Casa do Rolapipas

Casa do Rolapipas sits at the water's edge in the Douro Valley, on a bend of the river where the terraced vineyards climb the far bank in near-vertical lines. The house has its own dock, so the river is not a view you admire from a terrace — it is somewhere you push off from before breakfast.

Six bedrooms and seven bathrooms open onto the vineyard and the water, sleeping fourteen without anyone drawing the short straw. The pool sits between the house and the river, on a lawn that runs to the bank. Inside, an indoor fireplace anchors the living room for the cold, clear winters this valley is known for, and a wine cooler waits for whatever you carry back from the quintas upstream.

The kitchen is set up for people who intend to use it — dishwasher, oven, full cooking basics, dining table, wine glasses for a table of fourteen. If you would rather not, a chef can be arranged to cook in the house, and breakfast preparation and daily housekeeping are available on request.